With the calendar turning to fall, conference season is heating up. People are making arrangements and gearing up to attend academic, industry, and professional conferences. Some “volun-told” by their employers, but others, assuming someone like yourself that would listen to a podcast like this, are attending because they’re wanting to level up their career.

I love attending conferences. I typically plan to attend at least 3 a year. In the spring, I attended a podcast conference called Podcast Movement and this coming fall I’ll be at a personal finance creator conference called FinCon along with 2 other conferences on behalf of my 9 to 5.

I attend these conferences to learn from the speakers and stay on the pulse of industry changes but the biggest benefit of them all is networking.

In such a condensed, short period of time, I meet a lot of amazing people along with seeing some friends from attending similar conferences in years past. I always come home with many collaborations and follow-up conversations that I know will help me with my business and career.

After attending a few conferences, I’ve learned a few things that have really helped me maximize how to meet other people at conferences. I’m not a seasoned vet though but my friend Mark Herschberg is.

If that name sounds familiar, that may be because you’ve heard Mark on the podcast before. In episode 35, Mark came on the show to discuss how to gain clarity with your career path and now he is back on to discuss how to network like a pro at your next conference.

In this episode, he shares tips on how to get started networking before the conference even begins, opening lines to break the ice with attendees, how to meet conference VIPs, and so much more. This conversation left me feeling both excited and prepared for my upcoming fall conferences, and if you want to feel the same way, this is the episode for you.

So let’s get into it. I hope you enjoy my conversation with the tech founder, shot glass collector, and author of The Career Toolkit…Mark Herschberg.

Key Takeaways:

• How to decide which conference is worth your time
• How to get your manager to say yes to you attending a conference
• Hidden negotiation factor: education budget
• How to start networking before the conference even starts
• Opening lines to break the ice with another attendee
• How to look more inviting
• Ideas for hosting an event at a conference
• Techniques for politely exiting a conversation
• How to meet the conference VIPs
• An efficient way to track post-conference action items
• How to pass along what you learned to your colleagues

Mentions:

MIT Professor Explains How to Gain Clarity on the Next Steps in Your Career | E35 Mark Herschberg: www.tsirpodcast.com/35

The Ultimate Guide to Attending a Conference - Part 1 of 2: https://www.thecareertoolkitbook.com/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-attending-a-conference-part-1-of-2

The Ultimate Guide to Attending a Conference - Part 2 of 2: https://www.thecareertoolkitbook.com/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-attending-a-conference-part-2-of-2

What to Say at a Conference or Networking Event: https://www.thecareertoolkitbook.com/blog/what-to-say-at-a-conference-or-networking-event

More of Mark:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hershey/

Brain Bump: www.BrainBumpApp.com

The Career Toolkit: https://www.thecareertoolkitbook.com/

More of The Struggle is Real:

Find show notes and more at https://www.tsirpodcast.com/

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